Plan To Open Idle Bangor Plant Raises Waste-treatment Concerns

February 27, 1986|by NANCY J. FREEMAN, The Morning Call

A Bangor area family has expressed interest in purchasing the former BRW facilities in Bangor Borough and Washington Township. Critical to proceeding with the proposal, however, is community reaction to the plan.

Although the proposal would bring new jobs and tax revenues to the two municipalities, it also would result in reopening BRW'S waste treatment plant, a move that has concerned its immediate neighbors.

Faust Ruggiero, president of Merry Maid Novelties apparel manufacturing business, 25 Messinger St., Bangor, said the Ruggiero family has met with representatives of Meinhard Commercial Corp., New York, the lien-holder of BRW, to discuss purchase of the entire real estate package.

BRW, a textile manufacturing and dyeing firm, closed its doors and declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year. Last fall, the company's equipment was sold at auction, while the real estate remained unsold.

BRW, which at one time employed over 500 people, has a research and development building, knitting mill, office center and main dye house, as well as several smaller structures all in Bangor Borough's Second Ward.

There also is a large building and dye waste treatment plant in Washington Township, just across the street from the main dye house. The firm also owns a ball field, Pennico Park, that has been used by Bangor's Second Ward Community Association for recreational activities.

When BRW was in operation, Ruggiero said the company paid about $73,000 in local taxes per year and is about one and a half years delinquent in payments.

Ruggiero said a ruling of the Manhattan Bankruptcy Court, reached in agreement with Meinhard and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, requires the real estate "must be environmentally cleaned before it can be sold piecemeal.

"We would do the environmental clean-up," he said. Ruggiero said his family would hire firms to properly clean and remove any dye wastes, chemicals and other materials.

"We would then sell or lease several parcels," he said, "which would put people back to work in every one of them." He said the family has received inquiries about the sale or lease of a number of the properties, including two proposals to use the main dye house and sending non-hazardous waste to the treatment plant which was built in 1974.

Ruggiero continued, "Our proposal was to begin treating, in addition to that, other non-hazardous waste streams."

Initially, waste, from undetermined sources, would be trucked to the facility, although the possibility of later having material piped in to the treatment plant would exist. "We were going to test any load that comes in (for hazardous substances)," Ruggiero said. He said clean water from the treatment process would return to the stream, while all solid residue would be shipped to a lined landfill.

Due to the truck traffic, he said the family considered requesting Bangor to limit parking to one side of Messinger Street since the road is narrow. Parking is restricted to one side during the winter months to facilitate snow removal.

A final aspect of the proposal would be to maintain Pennico Park for the continued use of residents.

With a plan in mind, Ruggiero said the first step he took was to meet with residents. "We were very up front with them. We listened to all their objections," he said. Ruggiero said he encountered "a tremendous amount of anxiety . . . certainly a clear lack of support.

"Since that time, we have made no further negotiations with BRW," he said. "What we're waiting for is to see if there is any broad-based support for a plan of some kind that would put those facilities back to work," he continued, "We have no intention of going out and starting court battles."

He said no official proposals have been presented to any municipal body in either Bangor Borough or Washington Township. "We don't even have a deal with Meinhard," he stressed.

Jean D'Imperio, one of several Messinger Street residents, was one who attended the meeting with Ruggiero. She said about 35 residents showed up.

One of the residents' concerns, she said, is that human waste might be treated at the plant. "Our biggest concern," she said, "is of course any type of recycling (of wastes). As far as I know, people are totally against reopening the treatment plant."

Her husband, Joseph D'Imperio, involved for 32 years in construction of bridges, roads and sewage treatment plants in Newark, N.J., questioned whether the plant may have leaks somewhere. "There are trees dying around the area," he said, "We've also found dead animals around there." He said he contacted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials to request that tests be conducted to determine the source of any those problems. He's also inquired about spots that have appeared on the exterior of his house. But he has never received any follow-up, he said.